Honda has revealed the details of the upcoming Civic Mugen Si Sedan, the closest we North Americans are going to get to a Civic Type R. First seen at the 2006 SEMA Show, the Mugen Si sports a unique Fuji Blue Pearl color, a suspension tuned on Japan’s Twin Ring Motegi Course, and an aerodynamic body kit consisting of a new grille, rear spoiler, side skirts, and rear diffuser.
Only 1000 cars will be available for the 2008 model year, with pricing expected to come in around $30,000.
As a result of the track testing, the suspension has been lowered by 0.6 inch, with front and rear damping force increased by 8 and 24 percent, respectively. To further improve handling, Honda fitted the Mugen Si with lightweight 18-inch wheels that are 27 percent lighter than the 17-inchers on a standard Si and fitted them with a set of high-performance BF Goodrich g-Force tires.
Sad to say, engine mechanicals are largely unchanged. The Mugen’s output is the same as the regular Si’s at 197 horsepower and 139 pound-feet from its 2.0-liter four mated to a six-speed manual transmission, with the only difference being a sportier cat-back exhaust. The interior is largely untouched as well. The only changes are a Mugen limited-edition plaque on the center console and a new shift knob.
Is that and two extra doors worth a $7,000-$8,000 premium? We’re not so sure. It’d be a far easier sell if we got the Type R instead.
motortrend.com
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